


the sun peered down

by goldeneclipse



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldeneclipse/pseuds/goldeneclipse
Summary: Set after the Final Agni Kai, Zuko saved Katara from Azula’s lightning but not without any consequences. Now, Zuko is dead but somehow his spirit goes to the Spirit World where he is granted the ability to look over those he left.
Relationships: Zuko/Katara
Comments: 15
Kudos: 37





	1. a little too late

"No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"

"I'll show you lightning!" The young firebender prodigy replied as she gracefully swayed her arms in a fluid motion and then slowly generated lightning out of thin air.

Zuko took in a deep breath and stretched his arms out as he stabled his body and stance to capture then redirect his sister's lightning. For a moment, memories of him facing his father and his first and only experience with lightning redirection flooded Zuko as he watched her younger sister mirroring the same bending movements his tyrant father had made on the day of the Black Sun.

Similar bending moves that has the same objective: to _kill_ him.

Zuko remembered how seemingly easy and fluid his movement have been during his redirection, that it almost felt _natural_ for him to redirect lightning, as opposed to everything else he had to do in his life.

He stared at Azula intently and waited for her to finish the dangerous dance she was seemingly unafraid of performing and awaited for her fingertips to send the lightning to his direction. He felt a sudden pang of guilt struck him as he saw how composed his younger sister was in possibly sending himself to his own death, the same sister he had taught how to tie her shoelaces at five years old, now unrecognizable.

He took in a deep breath and glanced at his waterbender companion who he hoped can save her sister _if_ he does successfully redirected the lightning to her direction. Guilt started consuming him whole, however, he remembered how much this nation, this family, _his_ family, has taken from so many people. Aang was the only Air Nomad left because of his people, Katara and Sokka lost their mother because of his people, Suki lost her village because of his people. He needed to put a stop to this. He _had_ to.

So, Zuko fixed his stance.

However, Zuko suddenly felt everything stopped as he saw his sister's eyes' drifted from his own gaze to the person behind her before letting out a subtle yet devious smile and sparking his whole vision with blue lightning. _No,_ muttered Zuko as he realized that it was moving straight to Katara's direction. As sudden as he was swallowed by guilt earlier, he was suddenly overwhelmed by blue.

And that had been the only thing he saw during that moment. _Blue_.

The blue flames burning the Capital. The blue lightning mid-air that was sent by Azula's fingertips. The blue tunic over the waterbender. And her blue widened eyes.

Zuko's face was immediately tainted with the same expression as the girl behind him as he watched the lightning bolting to her way. To Katara.

Before Zuko could even think, he lets out the only thing on his mind and yelled out, "No!" as he ran as fast as he could to shield the lightning from hitting her in time. He readied himself for the impact, however, no one could have ever prepared him for the pain that his body experienced.

Despite the blinding pain, a small voice tried to comfort him as it whispered, _it’s better you than her._ And it worked. Zuko did feel some relief. 

However, the smell of his burning flesh certainly did not make Zuko any better. His mind flashed images of him at thirteen years old, with half of his face burned while he screams for mercy to his father. Memories he had concealed for a long time. He braced himself as he felt the blue lightning coursing through his body, through his veins.

He felt the solid ground as he redirected the buzzing blue light through his right hand up to the sky then shook uncontrollably. The electricity sent dagger-like vibrations through his weakened body as he heard Katara yelling his name in a pained and panicked voice. From the other side of the plaza, he heard Azula laughed manically. Zuko tried to lift himself up but, nothing. He tried again, and collapsed. _Katara,_ a small voice choked out. But, nothing. He watched as his sister sent blue fire blasts to his friend's way.

There was nothing Zuko could’ve done but reached out his shaking hand and watched through his blurred vision as the waterbender fought for her life.

—

Katara immediately ran to the shaking prince on the ground as soon as she chained the firebending princess to the metal ground underneath her.

"Zuko!" she said, making her way to her dying friend. When she reached him, she used all of her remaining strength to lay the prince on his back. Immediately, Katara was overwhelmed by the smell of burning flesh, but she shook her head. _Nothing I can’t heal._

She pressed a soft hand on his scarred cheek, before sliding her hands to his torso, and without even thinking, she summoned two balls of water, covered her hands with them, made them glow then began healing the firebender’s visibly wounded chest.

Katara was blinded by red. Zuko's bloody chest, the pool of red liquid under him, the crimson sky, and the passing comet filled her vision.

She reverted all her attention back on the wounded young man.

Katara assured herself as she healed him, _you saved Aang before right? Azula shot lightning at him, but you saved him. You can save Zuko._

However, her mind drifted off to the small blue vial with a crescent moon cap.

Katara shook her head violently. Convinced she will save him with or without the Spirit Water, she focused even harder. She closed her eyes, stopping the bleeding on his chest and stitching his skin back with water. 

After what seemed like a lifetime, Katara heard a pained grunt under her and stopped. Never did she felt as much relief in her life as seeing Zuko softly fluttered his eyes open.

Katara looked at him through tear-filled eyes and smiled. Tears streamed down her face as she saw him moved again, _alive._

Zuko started shifting a bit then stared into Katara’s blue doe eyes. They were so _blue._ She mumbled a soft scold to him, told him to stop moving. Zuko smiled faintly. _Oh, Katara._

She looked beautiful. Hair messy, face covered in dried tears, faint dark pink blush on her cheeks and nose. Zuko brushed one of her hair loopies to one of her ears. He had always wanted to do that.

The same words echoed in his head, _better you than her._ Contented that Katara was alive and well, tears started welling up on his eyes. _She deserves to be alive, and you deserve this,_ Zuko told himself.

Katara cradles his head gently as fresh tears escaped from her ocean-like eyes. “You’ll make it, Zuko,” she sniffled, “you have to.”

But he can’t. He won’t make it, Zuko knew.

He felt his chest tightening as he heard her voice shaking. He nodded, then slowly started opening his mouth, but no words escaped. He tried again, and finally had the physical strength to ask her, "Have I made it up to you yet?"

Katara looked at him with a confused look, unsure of what he is referring to. Until she remembered that night. The night where she exploded right in his face, that one night where she yelled and spat how much his betrayal hurt her. Her eyes started to release more water as she held his hands tightly.

Katara would have rolled her eyes at his question if the situation was different. She thought she had made it pretty clear that she did _forgive_ him. Hell, she did more than forgive him.

But, at this moment, his pained face and weakened body slumped on the floor, her heart felt so heavy and constricted that all she could do was muster a soft voice,

“Tomorrow, Zuko. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you.”

Zuko gave her a small, weakened smile as he heard his name coming from her soft lips and choked out the words,

”Tomorrow.. I’d like that."

He wanted to cling on to hope. He wanted to see her again. Maybe Zuko was being selfish for wanting to see her face again. He was given more than what he deserved in this life, but Agni, what he would do to stare at her two blue eyes again.

But he knew. Zuko knew. Maybe he can do it again in his next life. He held on to Katara’s hand on his chest before drifting off to blackness.

Zuko’s hold loosened, and the smile from Katara's face vanished. She panicked immediately.

No, he was alive. Katara believed so, even when Zuko did not move at all nor when his chest did not heave up and down. He just can’t die, Katara thought, _no_. Not like this. Not in here.

Not losing any hope, she sent two balls of water from her water skin to her hands, started making them glow, then held the firebender's wounded chest again. Unlike the first time she tried healing him, she made bigger, bolder hand movements and let her hands roamed around to his exposed torso, trying to feel something. Anything.

But, Katara froze completely.

She couldn't feel his chi flowing. In fact, she couldn't feel anything flowing. She moved her arms to his neck as she tried feeling his pulse but, she failed to feel any rhythm.

Shaking her head and saying repeated prayers to Tui and La, Katara stood up and started making strange movements with both of her hands.

 _I just need to get his heart moving again_ , Katara thought. So, she tried.

She didn’t care if she vowed to never used bloodbending again. She didn’t care if bloodbending is immoral. No, she had no time to think about anything when Zuko’s lifeless body on the ground was all she saw. All Katara wanted was to save him. To give him his life back. At any costs.

_“What can I do to make it up to you?”_

_"You really wanna know? Maybe you can reconquer Ba Sing Se back in the name of the Earth King, or, I know! You can bring my mother back.”_

Katara heard her own voice playing inside her head over and over again as she continued to flick her hands in strange directions to feel anything alive in him.

 _Come back to me, Zuko. Come back, and we’re even,_ Katara cried.

But there was no full moon. Katara used every bit of her strength to try and send blood in order to salvage Zuko's immobile heart.

Katara tried again. Again and again and again. Several times.

But her efforts were paid dust as she saw nothing was happening. He was still not moving, no heart beating, no chi flowing. Nothing.

But Katara’s stubborn. She didn’t care that blood was coming out of her nose. She didn’t care that her vision’s getting blurry. She didn’t care that she can’t feel anything anymore. She tried again, and again, moving her hands frantically as she tried to make his blood pump his own heart.

Until, she collapsed on the ground, incredibly exhausted, next to the deceased man she was desperately trying to save. Blood flowing uncontrollably from her nose, mouth and ears.

Katara felt drained, both emotionally and physically that no matter how much she wanted to go and try saving Zuko again, she couldn't. She was _tired_.

Katara felt nothing but rage. She felt so angry at herself, for being so weak, for getting tired, for coming here with him, for being the reason why he was dead. She felt nothing but anger as she screamed at the top of her lungs while still on the ground, next to Zuko. Saying every curse words she can think of as tears and blood continued to trickle down her neck, to the ground. The pool of blood underneath them starting to grow bigger.

Katara screamed and screamed, until her screams were echoed by another young woman from the other side.

Katara heard Azula screamed and cried as she realized the consequences of her actions. Her brother was dead because of her. Zuko, her older brother, her _only brother_ , the crowned prince, the rightful heir of the Fire Nation, lifeless because of her. And for the first time in her life, Azula felt completely alone.

Katara stares at the sky as she felt red liquid continuously trickling down her neck. The comet has passed, and the sun was out again.

She stared at the sun for a long time. Two golden eyes, she remembered. Katara covered her mouth to muffle her sobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic ever so please bear with me! This fic might have several grammar errors, so beware! The idea for this fic is loosely based on one of the tvd fics I’ve read before that has the same concept, but I want to write it with Zutara and the Spirit World! I hope this doesn’t turn out too bad hehe. Thank you for reading!


	2. realizations

Zuko woke up, feeling peaceful.

Oddly enough, this is the first time he ever felt this much peace since he was a kid. Zuko only felt this kind of peace when his mother was still around. He remembered the days he would spend by the pond, sitting under a massive tree that provided a comforting shade even on the hottest days in the Land of Fire.

He was carefree when he was with her mother. When they would feed the turtle ducks on the pond with pieces of bread while he and Azula would share how their days went with her. His mom would nod, and laugh whole heartedly when he would tell how his day went, getting harassed by the same “evil” turtleducks that they’re feeding everyday. He liked it whenever he hears his mother’s laughs, because she never seemed to laugh enough. Well, she never did around his father, or anyone else for that matter. She only laughed around him and his sister.

And he missed this feeling, this peace. He liked it. Very, very much. 

No worries. No war. No power hungry dictators. No Ozai. Just him, his mother, his uncle, cousin Lu Ten, and his sister.

_His sister._

Then suddenly, in a blink of an eye, Zuko remembered it. He remembered all the _blue_.

_The blue flames. The blue lightning. The blue eyes._

_Agni, what happened? And where am I?_ Zuko thought _._

Confused, Zuko glanced at his surroundings. He was still in Fire Nation, he recalled. The same smell, the same dark layout of the palace. He was in his childhood room. What was he doing here? 

In the midst of his contemplation though, Zuko heard a voice. He almost jumped, startled by the sound.

By the deep, and seldom, squeaky voice, he figured it was Sokka who was talking on the room adjacent to his. Zuko’s brows furrowed, confusion contorted his face.

”You have to eat. I know this day is extremely hard for you,” Zuko heard the older sibling sighed, “It‘s hard for all of us. He was our friend. But, you need to eat, Katara. You can’t go on like this.”

 _She’s here,_ Zuko thought. _And she’s fine_ , he murmured a short ‘thank you’ to Agni. 

Sokka continued, “Just... I love you, sis. And it’s hard seeing you like this, because, you have always been so strong,” Zuko heard a snifle, but unsure who’s the source of it. 

There was a long pause after. Zuko counted, _one, two, three, four, five, six_ seconds before Sokka spoke again. 

“He would want you to eat, you know,” Sokka chuckled lightly, then silence again. After about three seconds, Zuko counted, the older sibling continued, “I’ll be outside, the ceremony should begin anytime soon. Please, Katara, have some food. And, come meet us outside in a little bit, okay?” Then, Zuko heard a pair of footsteps moving away. Sokka left the room.

He wanted to see her. So, Zuko opened the door of his room and knocked on the one keeping the room where Katara’s in closed. However, his knuckles just went straight through the door. 

“What the hell?” Zuko muttered.

 _Huh, weird_ he thought. Zuko had a feeling as to why he was able to do that, but he brushed the thought away and went through the door with his whole body. He just really wanted to see her.

Then, Zuko finally saw her. She was still the same. Except she looked exhausted, thinner, _lonelier_. 

“I’m glad you’re alright. How are you? How’s everyone? Did Aang win?” Zuko approached her, bombarding her with questions. 

But, there was no answer. Katara was still staring at the plate in front of her. It was as if she heard nothing. This can’t be.

He tried again.

”Katara,” Zuko said before placing a hand on her shoulder. Like the door, his hand just went through her. Zuko sighed, finally realizing he can’t see nor hear her.

But Katara’s head shot up after he touched her. Her expression was shocked. She looked like she was going to say something, but held herself back, sealed her lips together and shook her head.

Impossible, Katara thought.

Zuko was staring. She felt him. He knew she felt him.

_Maybe if I touch her hand._

He was just about to touch her when she stood up and went straight to the door, leaving the sea prunes on the coffee table near the bed. 

Zuko followed her, but she was fast. It seemed like she was trying to catch something, or run away from someone by the speed of her walking. But he tried to keep up and followed her until they were both outside the palace. 

Katara stopped when she reached her friends. And Zuko stopped too, and saw them. His friends. Aang was there, as well as Toph, Suki, Sokka. He would’ve said something, but after his experience earlier in the room with Katara, he knew better than to try and look like a fool. But, he really wanted to say something to them. Maybe ask what happened on the day of the comet, greet them, or maybe tell them a Fire Nation joke. But he couldn’t so he just observed them. And observe Zuko did.

He saw that his friends all look down, for some reason. All of them were either dressed in black or dark red clothing. He also noticed that the group was standing in silence by one of the many pillars in the plaza, away from the crowd. He saw Suki holding on to Sokka, and both were looking down at the ground with same expression on their faces. Aang, who had bloodshot eyes, was next to the silent Toph. And Katara was standing in between Suki, and Aang, with eyes watery. She was dressed in a black kimono, a traditional Fire nation dress, with her hair down. Zuko noted how beautiful she looked. 

Zuko was interrupted in his basking in silence by a person who was approaching them. All the teens, including Zuko, turned around in sync when they heard the old man’s footsteps. Zuko jumped when he saw his uncle.

Uncle Iroh looked exhausted, thinner, and lonelier like Katara. He was dressed in black, too, like his friends. Zuko noted the golden flame that was on his bun. He didn’t know why but Zuko really missed his uncle. He wanted to run and hug him so badly, but he knew he couldn’t do that. So, he just stared at his uncle, the man who stood as his father for most of his life.

He was contented with seeing Uncle well. 

Uncle spoke, “The ceremony is about to begin. Come, children,” Then the group followed him at the heart of the plaza where seats were set up, ready to be sat on.

Zuko took a seat on an empty seat next to Toph. Luckily for him, he didn’t go through the chair unlike the door and Katara’s shoulder. He felt slightly glad about it.

He looked around the plaza, and noticed flowers were scattered all around the Capital. Really, it was _a lot_ of flowers. But, they were not just any flowers, he noticed, they were fire lilies. His favorite flower. 

Zuko’s breathe hitched. Dark clothing, sullen looks, flowers in the plaza, his ability to pass through, and his invinsibility. 

Zuko’s suspicions earlier were confirmed, he was at his funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was shorter than what I expected it to be. It was because I accidentally posted it while still working on it, so I had to finish it quickly and post the remainder of the chapter :( This chapter may be have extra grammar errors because I didn’t have as much time to re-read it! So, sorry about that :/ But, I hope you like the story so far! Please, comment if you feel comfortable! I like hearing from you guys! :)
> 
> P.S. The story may not follow the canon of Avatar, especially the idea of the Spirit World. The Spirit World in this story is.. a little bit different :)


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